Kapilow will put Beethoven's Sonata in A Major, Opus 69 -- also known as his third cello sonata -- under the microscope tonight.

He'll play some of Beethoven's early sketches, or "bad versions" of it. He'll be joined by cellist Zuill Bailey, pianist Piers Lane and the audience, who'll be encouraged to sing, clap, and ask questions after the piece is performed in the second half.

"You literally watch in front of your eyes (how he made) it better, step by step," Kapilow said by phone this week.

"It starts with six bars of cello. He made 20 different sketches of it," he said. "We'll build it up from the bad versions to the good version."

"It's about form and inspiration and all the theoretical things, but he says it in a way that Joe Listener not only understands but can appreciate," Bailey said.

Kapilow "tears apart masterworks" in a way that anyone can understand, Bailey said. Bailey has played the Beethoven sonata for years but said he "learned volumes" when he performed it with Kapilow last year in Washington, D.C.

"What he does is not normal; that's why he's so celebrated and appreciated," Bailey said.

Reporter
Doug Pullen

What Kapilow called the "good version" of the sonata was completed in 1808, the year Beethoven also finished his fifth and sixth symphonies. Kapilow likens the sonata to a kind of equal rights victory for the cello. It was the first to feature the instrument without accompaniment.

"It is a conversation of equals," he said. "Every idea the cello plays, the piano plays, but each in his own way."

Tonight's program is designed to be a conversation of equals, too, one he hopes demystifies classical music for novices and aficionados.

"I'm taking people inside from the composer's point of view," he said. "When they hear the complete performance, I hope they do it with a different pair of ears."

Doug Pullen may be reached at dpullen@elpasotimes.com, 546-6397. Read Pullen My Blog at elpasotimes.com/blogs. Follow him on Twitter @dougpullen and on Facebook at facebook.com/DougPullenEPTimes.

How much: $25, $20 for seniors and military, $5 for students, plus service charges. Tickets are available at the UTEP Ticket Center; through Ticketmaster, ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000; and at the door.